LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act contains various provisions regulating the application for, the issuance of, the suspension of, and the conditions imposed upon, alcoholic beverage licenses by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Existing law authorizes the department to issue to the holder of any off-sale retail license an instructional tasting license that permits the licenseholder to allow an authorized licensee, as defined, or designated representative of that licensee, to conduct, on a designated portion of, or contiguous to, an existing licensed premises, an instructional tasting event at which tastes of alcoholic beverages may be served to consumers, as provided.

This bill would include craft distillers in the definition of authorized licensees for the purpose of the above authorization.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act permits an authorized licensee, as defined, or its authorized agent, to instruct consumers at an on-sale retail licensed premises authorized to sell its product on the subject of wine or distilled spirits, including, but not limited to, the history, nature, values, and characteristics of those beverages, as provided. Existing law authorizes the instruction to include tastings of wine or distilled spirits, subject to limitations on the amounts that may be provided to the consumers.

This bill would include a craft distiller in the definition of an authorized licensee for the purpose of the above authorization.

Digest Key

Vote:
MAJORITY
Appropriation:
NO
Fiscal Committee:
YES
Local Program:
NO

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 25503.56 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

25503.56.

(a) An authorized licensee, or a designated representative of an authorized licensee acting as an agent of the authorized licensee, may conduct, on the area specified by paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 23396.6, an instructional tasting event for consumers on the subject of wine, beer, or distilled spirits, including, but not limited to, the history, nature, values, and characteristics of wine, beer, or distilled spirits, and the methods of presenting and serving wine, beer, or distilled spirits.

(1) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the instructional tasting event may include the serving of alcoholic beverages to an attendee of legal drinking age. An instructional tasting event on the subject of wine or distilled
spirits shall be limited to not more than three tastings per person per day. A single tasting of distilled spirits shall not exceed one-fourth of one ounce and a single tasting of wine shall not exceed one ounce. An instructional tasting event on the subject of beer shall be limited to not more than the tasting of eight ounces of beer per person per day. The wine, beer, or distilled spirits tasted shall be limited to the products that are authorized to be sold by the authorized licensee and the licenseholder under its off-sale license.

(B) A beer and wine wholesaler may conduct an instructional tasting event but shall not serve tastes of beer unless the beer and wine wholesaler also holds a beer manufacturer’s license, an out-of-state beer manufacturer’s certificate, or more than six distilled spirits wholesaler’s licenses.

(C) No charge of any sort shall be made for the tastings.
Except for the purposes of Section 23985, the serving of tastings shall not be deemed a sale of products pursuant to this division.

(D) A person under 21 years of age shall not serve wine, beer, or distilled spirits at the instructional tasting event.

(E) All tastes shall be served by an employee of the authorized licensee, the designated representative of the authorized licensee, or by an employee of the designated representative of the authorized licensee.

(F) An authorized licensee, or a designated representative of an authorized licensee, shall either supply the wine or distilled spirits to be tasted during the instructional tasting event or purchase the wine or distilled spirits from the licenseholder at the original invoiced cost. An authorized licensee, or a designated representative of an authorized licensee,
shall purchase beer to be tasted during the instructional tasting event from the licenseholder at the original invoiced cost.

(G) Any unused wine, beer, or distilled spirits remaining from the tasting shall be removed from the off-sale licensed premises by the authorized licensee or its designated representative.

(2) If the instructional tasting event is conducted by a designated representative of an authorized licensee, the designated representative shall not be owned, controlled, or employed directly or indirectly by the licenseholder on whose premises the instructional tasting event is held.

(3) An instructional tasting event shall be limited to a single type of alcoholic beverage. For purposes of this paragraph, “type of alcoholic beverage” means distilled spirits, wine, or beer.

(3) “Location” means the total contiguous area encompassed by the off-sale and on-sale licenses.

(c) Notwithstanding subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), a licenseholder may conduct an instructional tasting event that includes the serving of tastings only when an authorized licensee or its designated representative are unable to conduct an instructional tasting event previously advertised pursuant to this section and scheduled by the authorized licensee or its designated representative, provided that the licenseholder supplies the wine, beer,
or distilled spirits used in the instructional tasting event and provides or pays for a person to serve the wine, beer, or distilled spirits. Instructional tasting events conducted by a licenseholder pursuant to this subdivision are subject to the provisions of this section and Section 23396.6.

(d) No more than one authorized licensee, or its designated representative, may conduct an instructional tasting event that includes the serving of tastes of wine, beer, or distilled spirits at any one individual licensed premises of a licenseholder per day.

(e) A licenseholder that also holds an on-sale beer and wine license, an on-sale beer and wine eating place license, or an on-sale general license shall not allow an authorized licensee, or its designated representative, to conduct an instructional tasting event on the same day and at the same location as any instructional tasting event
held pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 23386, Section 25503.4, subdivision (c) of Section 25503.5, or Section 25503.55.

(f) A licenseholder shall not condition the allowance of an instructional tasting event upon the use of a particular designated representative of an authorized licensee.

(g) (1) In addition to any point-of-sale advertising or other advertising items allowed under this division or under rules of the department, an authorized licensee or its designated representative, in his or her absolute discretion and with permission of the licenseholder upon whose premises the instructional tasting event will be held, may list in an advertisement to the general public the name and address of the licenseholder, the names of the alcoholic beverages being featured at the instructional tasting event, and the time, date, and location of, and other
information about, the instructional tasting event, provided that both of the following apply:

(A) The advertisement does not contain the retail price of the alcoholic beverages.

(B) The listing of the licenseholder’s name and address is the only reference to the licenseholder in the advertisement.

(2) Pictures or illustrations of the licenseholder’s licensed premises and laudatory references to the licenseholder in these advertisements are not authorized. Nothing in this section shall authorize an authorized licensee or its designated representative to share in the costs, if any, of the licenseholder.

(h) A licenseholder may advertise an instructional tasting event to the general public. The costs of this advertising shall be borne solely by the
licenseholder. Advertising permitted by this subdivision includes flyers, newspaper ads, Internet communications, and interior signage.

(i) Except as otherwise provided in this division or rules of the department, no premium, gift, free goods, or other thing of value shall be given away by an authorized licensee or its designated representative in connection with an instructional tasting event that includes tastings of an alcoholic beverage.

(j) The licenseholder or the authorized licensee or its designated representative is authorized to perform setup and breakdown of the instructional tasting event area. The authorized licensee or its designated representative may provide, free of charge to the licenseholder, the equipment, materials, and utensils as may be required for use in connection with the instructional tasting event.

(k) (1) A licenseholder shall not require, or enter into a collusive scheme with, an authorized licensee or its designated representative to conduct one or more instructional tasting events as a condition of the licenseholder’s carrying or continuing to carry a brand or brands of the authorized licensee or as a condition for display or other merchandising plan which is based on an agreement to provide shelf space. An authorized licensee or its designated representative shall not require any preferential treatment or benefit from, or enter into a collusive scheme with, a licenseholder as a condition of conducting one or more instructional tasting events, require a licenseholder to carry or continue to carry a brand or brands of the authorized licensee as a condition of conducting one or more instructional tasting events, or condition display or other merchandising plans that are based on agreements for the provision of shelf space on the conducting of one or more
instructional tasting events. Any agreement, whether written or oral, entered into by and between a licenseholder and an authorized licensee or its designated representative that precludes the conducting of instructional tasting events on the premises of the licenseholder by any other authorized licensee is prohibited. A licenseholder or authorized licensee, or its designated representative, shall not use an instructional tasting event to circumvent any other requirements of this division.

(2) In addition to any other remedies available under this division, upon a finding by the department of a failure to comply with this subdivision, the department shall suspend the instructional tasting license of the licenseholder and the privilege of the authorized licensee to conduct instructional events for not less than six months but for no more than one year.

(l) The Legislature finds
that it is necessary and proper to require a separation between manufacturing interests, wholesale interests, and retail interests in the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages in order to prevent suppliers from dominating local markets through vertical integration and to prevent excessive sales of alcoholic beverages produced by overly aggressive marketing techniques. The Legislature further finds that the exception established by this section to the general prohibition against tied interests must be limited to its express terms so as not to undermine the general prohibition, and intends that this section be construed accordingly.

SEC. 2.

Section 25503.57 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

25503.57.

(a) (1) An authorized licensee, or its designated representative, may instruct consumers at an on-sale retail licensed premises authorized to sell its product with the permission of the retail on-sale licensee. The instruction may include, without limitation, the history, nature, values, and characteristics of the wine or distilled spirits and the methods of presenting and serving the wine or distilled spirits.

(2) The instruction of consumers may include the furnishing of not more than three tastings to any individual in one day. A single tasting of distilled spirits may not exceed one-fourth of one ounce and a single tasting of wine may not exceed one ounce.

(3) The
authorized licensee, or its designated representative, shall either supply the wine or distilled spirits to be tasted during the instructional tasting event or purchase the wine or distilled spirits from the retail on-sale licensee at the original invoiced cost.

(4) The authorized licensee, or its designated representative, shall remove any unfinished alcoholic beverages that were supplied by the authorized licensee, or its designated representative, following the instruction.

(5) Nothing in this subdivision shall limit the giving away of samples pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 23386.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in this division or by the rules of the department, no premium, gift, free goods, or other thing of value shall be given away by an authorized
licensee or its designated representative in connection with an instructional tasting event conducted pursuant to this section that includes tastings of wine or distilled spirits.

(d) (1) In addition to any point-of-sale advertising or other advertising items allowed under this division or under rules of the department, an authorized licensee or its designated representative, in his or her absolute discretion and with permission of the retail on-sale licensee upon whose premises the instructional tasting event will be held, may list in an advertisement to the general public the name and address of the on-sale retail licensee, the names of the wines or distilled spirits being featured at the instructional tasting event, and the time, date, and location of, and other information about, the instructional tasting event, provided that both of the following apply:

(A) The advertisement does not contain the retail price of the alcoholic beverages.

(B) The listing of the on-sale retail licensee’s name and address is the only reference to the on-sale retail licensee in the advertisement.

(2) Pictures or illustrations of the on-sale retail licensee’s licensed premises and laudatory references to the on-sale retail licensee in these advertisements are not authorized. Nothing in this section shall authorize an authorized licensee or its designated representative to share in the costs, if any, of the on-sale retail licensee.

(e) An on-sale retail licensee may advertise an instructional tasting event to the general public. The costs of this advertising shall be borne solely by the on-sale retail licensee. Advertising permitted by this subdivision includes flyers,
newspaper ads, Internet communications, and interior signage.

(f) No more than one authorized licensee or its designated representative shall conduct an instructional tasting pursuant to this section at the on-sale retail licensed premises of an on-sale retail licensee at any time, and a person shall not act as the designated representative for more than one authorized licensee at that instructional tasting.